Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my look at Modern Family (2009-2020, ABC), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming!
Modern Family stars ED O’NEILL as Jay, SOFIA VERGARA as Gloria, JULIE BOWEN as Claire, TY BURRELL as Phil, JESSE TYLER FERGUSON as Mitch, ERIC STONESTREET as Cam, SARAH HYLAND as Haley, ARIEL WINTER as Alex, NOLAN GOULD as Luke, RICO RODRIGUEZ as Manny, and AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS as Lily.
Modern Family remains incredibly consistent. Only now, it’s consistently below-average. Season Eight, like Seven, is not only too often far removed from the unique particulars of the premise, its stories are also not memorably, personally, or creatively well-tailored to the individual elements that kept the series afloat for so long — these characters. And it’s no mystery why. While the adults have stagnated and are therefore no longer capable of generating many new ideas, the kids have been diluted and are also now less helpful than ever before. They’ve shed so much of their distinction, existing now within material that could be found on many teen-filled family sitcoms. That’s most evident this year with Haley, who’s no longer attached to Andy but is still being thrown bland rom-com blather that doesn’t display her previously well-contrasted persona, and with the boys, who are now just generic girl-seeking high schoolers. This year also adds Baby Joe to the mix — an occasional plot device who has no actual personality and actively tamps down earned comedic opportunities. Oh, to be fair, I don’t actually think Eight is much worse than Seven. I see them as similarly pitched, but different in how they do it. While last year made a point to gather the leads more frequently in bottle episodes designed to set up the most favorable narrative conditions, this year tries to connect most of its episodic subplots, usually by uniting them under the same theme. And speaking of theme, there’s still the overarching drama of watching the kids grow — last year Alex went to college; this year Manny and Luke are preparing to graduate high school. That helps ground some offerings in relatable family experiences that play on both the series’ internal continuity and long-accrued emotional investments. So, for as much as I think everything in Eight is mediocre, I can guide you to its best stuff. And believe it or not, it’s stronger than all the seasons still to come…
01) Episode 167: “A Tale Of Three Cities” (Aired: 09/21/16)
The Dunphys try to avoid each other in New York, while Mitch endures Cam’s Missouri family.
Written by Elaine Ko | Directed by Chris Koch
Season Eight’s premiere opens with the three original households each away on different trips, all united by that same distinction until their eventual climactic congregation at Jay’s. While the Dunphys have an amusing and mildly farcical story where both parents and kids try to avoid the other finding out that they’ve opted to privately stay in New York longer than expected, there are more personalized subplots for the others. Gloria is feuding with her sister (Stephanie Beatriz) after a Mexico visit — a setup that accentuates her heritage, which is different from the rest of this family’s — and Mitch is uncomfortable back in Cam’s Missouri hometown (with Dana Powell and Celia Weston) after the passing of Cam’s grandma. Like the Gloria subplot, this is tailored to what we know of Cam, rendering it somewhat specific sitcommery.
02) Episode 168: “A Stereotypical Day” (Aired: 09/28/16)
Mitch and Cam worry that Lily is bullying a transgender kid while Manny dates a communist.
Written by Vali Chandrasekaran | Directed by Ryan Case
Most of the stories in his entry derive fun from awkward scenarios related to the social tensions of the late 2010s, some of which also feel affiliated to the series’ premise, which initially hinged a lot of its modernity on the fact that it had a regular gay couple within the primary ensemble. Indeed, because of that, a story where Mitch and Cam fear that Lily is bullying a trans kid at school looks like it sits within the series’ conceptual wheelhouse, making it an ideal notion for Modern Family. Thematically tangential is Jay’s faux pas with the new neighbors, who are black — creating some cringe comedy that this mockumentary lens, even if not literal within the premise, innately helps accentuate. Meanwhile, I also appreciate the subplot of Claire trying to position Alex as the new taskmaster of the house in her place — it’s an amusing use of their personalities and the Dunphy family dynamics. (Ernie Hudson appears.)
03) Episode 171: “Halloween IV: Revenge Of Rod Skyrock” (Aired: 10/26/16)
The Dunphys try to drum up a crowd for Luke’s Halloween party.
Written by Stephen Lloyd | Directed by Chris Koch
This year’s Halloween outing is, like Season Eight itself, incapable of being a great sample within this series’ own subcategory. However, it’s above-average by the standards of this particular collection, for its easy-to-grip Halloween trappings unite all the narrative ideas. And in a family show that’s always used holidays — and especially this holiday — to gather the ensemble and produce the kind of conditions conducive to its finest showings, this entry is inherently an act of identity-affirmation. In terms of its actual ideas, I appreciate the return of Jay’s main rival Earl Chambers (now played by Robert Costanzo), and I like Manny’s intellectually obscure Halloween costume (Dalton Trumbo!), which reiterates his initial definition as precocious.
04) Episode 174: “The Alliance” (Aired: 11/30/16)
Cam, Gloria, and Phil conspire to exert their will over their stubborn Pritchett spouses.
Written by Andy Gordon & Ryan Walls | Directed by James Bagdonas
My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “The Alliance” is enjoyable because it reinforces the situation via the family construct, mining conflict from the very design of this ensemble — with Jay and his two kids all having spouses who essentially put up with them and their mildly dysfunctional closeness as the connective tissue for this extended-family situation. When the three outsiders unite for interconnected subplots that directly acknowledge the makeup of the family, the show is therefore narratively being explicit about its construction — and thus, its situation — in a way that we’ve seldom seen since Season One, when the attributes that made their households unique were more regularly a source of interpersonal tension. Meanwhile, besides reminding of the premise, this is a terrific setup for associating several ideas, so that they all feel like they belong together in the same half hour, which accordingly plays like a singular and well-designed episodic reflection of the series, with no weak parts. In fact, even notions that are otherwise not relevant to this A-story — like Haley’s adjustment to dating a man (Nathan Fillion) with a daughter only slightly younger than her, and Jay’s discomfort when a lady at his club (Joely Fisher) takes a liking to Luke — are elevated by the rest of this proverbial rising tide. No, I can’t say this is a series classic, but it’s Eight’s most favorable.
05) Episode 176: “Ringmaster Keifth” (Aired: 01/04/17)
Cam reunites with his ex-boyfriend, a former carnival ringmaster.
Written by Vali Chandrasekaran | Directed by Jim Hensz
Kelsey Grammer notably appears in this excursion as the eponymous Keifth, a former carnival ringmaster who’s now a hotel concierge. It’s an amusing launching pad for a guest — all designed to expand our understanding of Cam’s backstory. And it’s smartly predicated on one of the things we know about him (his love of the circus, which includes, of course, clowns). I’d be lying if I tried to pretend like that wasn’t enough to get this entry a spot on my list, for it is. Especially because it also allows me to remind you that Modern Family is shepherded by former Frasier alums and thus has a spiritual connection to this casting. However, there are some solid character moments in the other subplots as well, including Phil having to adjust to his father’s new engagement. (Incidentally, Fred Willard and Kelsey Grammer were temporary costars on Back To You, an earlier Lloyd and Levitan sitcom. Also, Faith Prince guests as well.)
06) Episode 178: “Do You Believe In Magic?” (Aired: 02/08/17)
Cam and Mitch dispense romantic advice while Jay realizes that he favors Joe over Manny.
Written by Jon Pollack | Directed by Gail Mancuso
The only other outing that I was considering for MVE, “Do You Believe In Magic?” has thematic help from Valentine’s Day, which undergirds all the stories, starting with the return of Clive and Juliana in a subplot that takes a more interesting turn when Claire offers her own romantic surprise to Phil: magic tricks. That’s a fun and character-precise detail that I appreciate as situation comedy uniquely earned from elements crafted for this series. Additionally, I enjoy the setup of Cam and Mitch dispensing bad romantic advice — including to recurring guest Elizabeth Banks as the sloppy Sal. As for the Jay subplot, I don’t love that it involves Baby Joe — less a character than a device — but it’s introspective about Jay’s relationship with Manny, so it’s specific to the series, implicitly using their non-traditional family dynamic as step-father and step-son (who also come from different cultures and generations). So, overall, there’s both comedy and character here, steeped in enough of the series’ particulars to feel special.
07) Episode 183: “Pig Moon Rising” (Aired: 03/15/17)
Secrets come to light after Mitch knocks over Cam’s pet pig’s ashes and tries to cover it up.
Written by Paul Corrigan & Brad Walsh | Directed by Chris Koch
This installment nobly reaches for some narrative and thematic cohesion, all related to the various cover-ups that members of the family try to pull. It starts with Mitch’s refusal to admit that he knocked over the ashes of Cam’s beloved pet pig, a hilarious and specific detail that’s derived uniquely from what we know of Cam. There’s also some more character weight in the progression of Luke’s post-high school plans and Phil’s willingness to debase himself to an old rival — revealing his tricks of the trade as a magician for the sake of his son’s future. That’s a conflict that helps progress a broader (implied) arc. Ultimately, this isn’t as tight or as clever as a pre-Season Five episode, but by the standards of Eight, it’s pretty solid.
08) Episode 184: “Five Minutes” (Aired: 03/29/17)
Phil and Claire learn whom Alex has been dating, while Haley breaks up with her boyfriend.
Written by Elaine Ko | Directed by Gail Mancuso
There are shades of Life In Pieces here as Modern Family gives up its normal format and frees itself from the burden of finding excuses to tie together disparate ideas. No, this entry has four proudly separate stories, each running from start to finish, one after the other. That’s four individual vignettes — a break from this series’ norm that works, at least as a one-off. Especially because it’s a welcome simplification, clarifying around the characters during these small narrative snapshots that each play in five minutes of self-contained real time. Now, you all know I love the theatricality of real time, which though sometimes a gimmick, is also a way to emphasize character interplay. And, in this case, the structure of having four five-minute scenes is its own unifying device, granting cohesion to the whole. As for the ideas, some are better than others — none are stellar — but they all work decently because of the outing’s atypical design (and everything from which this atypical design allows us a reprieve).
09) Episode 187: “Alone Time” (Aired: 05/10/17)
Jay and Mitch seek alone time at the same hotel while Claire and Phil are driven to wits’ end.
Written by Abraham Higginbotham & Stephen Lloyd & Danny Zuker | Directed by Jim Hensz
Under the general setup of everyone needing time alone to decompress from the stresses that are exacerbated by other family members, this episode is thematically well-designed. Beyond just the funny idea of Jay and Mitch both landing at the same hotel where they’ve each gone to separately unwind, it’s always fun to see Cam come over and interact with Gloria — they both adore and annoy each other as flamboyant, expressive forces with strong personalities. Also, the whole notion of Claire and Phil existing in a house of chaos as a result of three strong-willed children is relatable given that’s always existed within their stories, meaning it’s applied here in a manner that doesn’t feel convenient or disconnected from what’s been established.
10) Episode 188: “The Graduates” (Aired: 05/17/17)
The family prepares for Luke and Manny’s high school graduation.
Written by Jon Pollack & Jeffrey Richman & Chuck Tatham | Directed by Steven Levitan
Season Eight’s finale leans into the sentimentality of Luke and Manny’s high school graduation, which is fine because it not only unites the entire family, but it directly involves two of the three households, as both sets of parents contend with their children growing up — signaled by this relatable milestone. I appreciate the pathos as well, as that’s always been part of the series’ tone — and here, it’s certainly deserved, even if I also wish this half hour actually packed in more laughs. You know, the kind we could have more reliably expected back in the early years… Nevertheless, I see this as enough of a reflection of the series’ identity to celebrate it. In particular, I like the Jay and Manny subplot, which holds meaning because of the premised wrinkle in their dynamic — they’re related by marriage, but love each other as family.
Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Sarge & Pea,” which reunites the original Pritchett clan when Jay, Mitch, and Claire sit with DeDe at a family wedding, along with “Thanksgiving Jamboree,” a holiday outing that I wish was more consistent inside itself (with its ideas), “Snow Ball,” which has fun in its Jay and Phil bonding scenes, and “Finding Fizbo,” which employs details that could only exist with these characters and on this series. I’ll also take the time to cite “Blindsided” for guest Martin Short, and “Basketball” for its memorable guest appearance by the returning Jane Krakowski as Gloria’s rival.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Eight of Modern Family goes to…
“The Alliance”
Come back next week for Season Nine! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!